Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-12-08
WOOL ON THE WARPATH.
DEALERS IN FLeEcEs UTTER A vo.
clFERouS PROTEST
Against the Presidents Treatment OF
Their Industry - Secretary Fsirchild's
Contribution to the Tariff Discussion
A Disquisition on Silver-Minneapolis
Men with Their Coats OF

Contribution TO the Tariff Discussion
Disquisition on Silver-Minneapolis
Men with Their Goats OF
WASHINGTON CITY, Dec S-The members
of the wool conference here severely criticise
he section of the presidents message relating
to the wool question There are ,0oO, OC
wool growers in America" said one "and
free wool means death to the American wool
industry. The country is putting itself in
.h,pe to resist foreign aggression by rebuild
ng the navy, but how would the country
face war il it couldn't produce the wool to
clothe its soldiers However. we believe we
stand better with congress than the president,
and that is the most important part. l see
here Is talk that some of the manufacturers
re favoring free wool The heaviest and
most representative manufacturers are de-
'iiedly against free wool and with US, for
hey know that free wool means free WOOL
.f,sn
The following statement was made public
Tuesday night by the secretary of the con-
rrenee of wool growers and wool dealers
low in session here:
ar le wool growers and wool dealers of thu
United st ties, r-presen ing capital of over
$SN0JJ,0 D nd a constituency of 1000, 600
wool nwers and wool dealers, assembled in
confere en Wa hingt n City. the 7th day
of Dsa mbe 1887, having read the first an
nual mo & OF the resident to the Fiftieth
cong ess, declare that the sentiments Of the
lessags are direct attack upon their indus
ry, and in positive violation of the national
Democratic platform of 1884. as inter-
oreted by the party leaders, and
accepted by the rank and file of
the party; that the argument made
by the president for the removal Of our pro-
ons, repeatedly made by the enemies of our
industrial progress, and effectively answered
in nearly every school district of our land,
and so thoroughly disproved by the logic of
facts and demonstration of experience and
history as to need no answer from us
ave acknowledge that our small holdings,
our scattered and unorganized condition,
makes US the easy prey of free trade, but we
had a right to expect something different
from the chief executive of a nation, at once
the most happy, prosperous, and contented Of
any of the world, made so by policy of pro-
lection and development which he now seeks
TO destroy. We had right to expect our
president would favor the wool growers of
the United States, and confess our deep dis
appointment that instead, he favored the i'll
terests of our foreign competitors.
Justly alarmed at his position, We make
an appeal from his recommendations to the
people--to all the people-to the Z, 750, 600 of
our fellow citizens engaged in agriculture, to
the millions engaged in manufacturing, to
| tho pf uhnsu
maintained by the protective system, to the
tradesmen and merchants whose prosperity
depends upon ours; confident that the judg-
ment and decision will be based upon justice
and patriotism and therefore for the main
tenance Of the American policy of protec-
ton to which the country is indebted for its
unexampled development and prosperity.
| "To demonstrate the in Justice of the presi.
dents policy, and the falacy of the remedy
he proposes for the reduction Of the surplus,
we point to the fact that if the whole amount
of the revenue derived from wool was abol.
ished it would reduce the surplus only about
s., 900 0O0, or less than 10 cents per capita Of
the population, while the old war taxes he
recommends retained yield over s,i9, 600, 900
and was a direct tax per capita OF 81 each, and
what makes up the great bulk of the sur
plus of Sl4O, 0O0, 900, and which fosters most
dangerous monopoly
ave would further add the following sta
tistics in regard to the wool industry: The
annual revenue derived from imports of WOO
under the tariff of '67 was less than 81, 100.
900 Under the reduced tariff of 's3 the rev
enue last year was over s., 00O, 600 The
humber Of sheep in the country in 1854 wa,
5O, 62o. 626; in 1887, A, 759, Sl4-a decrease Of
nearly 5000, 900, and diminution of The
annual wool product of over 35,OO0
100 pounds. Thus showing that reduc
ing the tariff by the act o.
1888 has increased the revenue from imported
woods and diminished the number of sheep in
the United States about l2 per cent and th,
amount produced in the same proportion.
u e presidents policy would bring abou
the destruction of this industry and the sam
policy of reduction OF abolition of the tariff
would end in disaster to all the other indus
trial productive enterprises of the country.